Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Dale Walborn Reservoir
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Dale Walborn Reservoir: what the data says
657-acre reservoir near Alliance. Stark Parks reservoir on the Mahoning headwaters. ODNR stocks wipers by the tens of thousands. The lake tops out around 21 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The chart traces 8.8 miles of shoreline here, broken up by 4 islands. A development index of 3.4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 88% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Dale Walborn Reservoir
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 6 to 21 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Break off the point (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Dale Walborn Reservoir
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 21 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 21 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 21 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Dale Walborn Reservoir
The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 6 to 21 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Dale Walborn Reservoir
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 21 ft before dropping to 6 to 21 ft for winter. Spring channel catfish concentrate at Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 5 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | dusk | Deep basin (21 ft) | |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) |
White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Dale Walborn Reservoir
Spring puts white bass & hybrids in skinny water — 3 to 15 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 21 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 21 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring white bass & hybrids. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Creek inflow (5 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 6 to 21 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 6 to 21 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 6 to 21 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 21 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 5 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
Dale Walborn Reservoir fishing regulations
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Ohio waters are set by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Dale Walborn Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Ohio fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Dale Walborn Reservoir?
Dale Walborn Reservoir is about 21 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Dale Walborn Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids on Dale Walborn Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Dale Walborn Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
When is the best time to fish Dale Walborn Reservoir?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
What are the fishing regulations for Dale Walborn Reservoir?
Fishing on Dale Walborn Reservoir is regulated by the Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife. Check the official Ohio regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Nearby waters
Berlin Lake 8 mi · Wingfoot Lake 9 mi · Mogadore Reservoir 11 mi · West Branch Reservoir 12 mi · Lake Milton 13 mi · Springfield Lake 14 mi · Nimisila Reservoir 18 mi · Sippo Lake 18 mi · Portage Lakes (Turkeyfoot) 19 mi · Guilford Lake 20 mi · Silver Creek Lake 26 mi · LaDue Reservoir 28 mi
See how Dale Walborn Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Ohio · best crappie lakes in Ohio · best bluegill lakes in Ohio · best channel catfish lakes in Ohio
Browse all Ohio fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.